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Quality of care of treatment for uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition provided by lady health workers in Pakistan
- Source :
- Public health nutrition. 21(2)
- Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- ObjectiveTo assess the quality of care provided by lady health workers (LHW) managing cases of uncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the community.DesignCross-sectional quality-of-care study.SettingThe feasibility of the implementation of screening and treatment for uncomplicated SAM in the community by LHW was tested in Sindh Province, Pakistan. An observational, clinical prospective multicentre cohort study compared the LHW-delivered care with the existing outpatient health facility model.SubjectsLHW implementing treatment for uncomplicated SAM in the community.ResultsOedema was diagnosed conducted correctly for 87·5 % of children; weight and mid upper-arm circumference were measured correctly for 60·0 % and 57·4 % of children, respectively. The appetite test was conducted correctly for 42·0 % of cases. Of all cases of SAM without complications assessed during the study, 68·0 % received the correct medical and nutrition treatment. The proportion of cases that received the correct medical and nutrition treatment and key counselling messages was 4·0 %.ConclusionsThis quality-of-care study supports existing evidence that LHW are able to identify uncomplicated SAM, and a majority can provide appropriate nutrition and medical treatment in the community. However, the findings also show that their ability to provide the complete package with an acceptable level of care is not assured. Additional evidence on the impact of supervision and training on the quality of SAM treatment and counselling provided by LHW to children with SAM is required. The study has also shown that, as in other sectors, it is essential that operational challenges are addressed in a timely manner and that implementers receive appropriate levels of support, if SAM is to be treated successfully in the community.
- Subjects :
- Male
medicine.medical_specialty
030231 tropical medicine
Severe Acute Malnutrition
Medicine (miscellaneous)
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Health facility
Medicine
Community health workers
Cluster Analysis
Humans
Pakistan
030212 general & internal medicine
Prospective Studies
Quality of care
Intensive care medicine
Quality of Health Care
Community Health Workers
Nutrition and Dietetics
Medical treatment
business.industry
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Infant
Cross-Sectional Studies
Nutrition Assessment
Child, Preschool
Emergency medicine
Observational study
Female
Level of care
business
Delivery of Health Care
Cohort study
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14752727 and 13689800
- Volume :
- 21
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Public health nutrition
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....3108a064d9c4d1e8c52c176665965437